Hernial truss



July 9, 1935. o. 1.. MCDOWELL 2,007,456

HERNIAL TRUS S QFiled Jan. 25, 1953 (Ittorneg Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE i HERNIAL' races 7 Oscar L. McDonnell, Fresno, Calif. Application January 23, 1933, Serial No. 653,606

" '3 Claims. (oi. 128-99) My invention relates to ahernial truss. The object I have accomplished inmy invention is the construction of a hernial truss, or supportfor a hernial rupture which is easily adjusted to the shape of the body, which canbe held in the pos tionfirmly butyieldingly, which automatically adjusts itself to the movements of the body, which is composed of parts havingdiiferent degrees of yielding ability so that when it is desired to re cline aportion of the device can be removed and the padwill be held inthe position desiredwith less pressure thaniwhen the normallpressure and the auxiliary spring are assembled, and when the body is active the auxiliary spring can be assembled with the belt to make the retention means more positive. Other objects will be hereinafter disclosed.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and hereby made a part hereof, Fig. 1 shows the retaining pad and a fractional part of the belt attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the retaining pad along sectional line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the auxiliary spring. Fig. 4 is a front view of the belt having the retaining pad attached thereto as worn by a person. Fig. 5 is a similar view to that described in Fig. 4, and having the auxiliary curved spring assembled therewith. Fig. 6 is a back view of the belt and auxiliary spring as worn by a person. Fig. 7 is a face view of the retaining pad showing the pliable face thereof. Fig. 8 is a rear face view of the auxiliary pad. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the auxiliary pad along sectional line 99 in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing, the belt is shown as constructed of an elastic portion I, and a nonelastic portion 12. It is intended that the belt shall be constructed of sufficient length to encircle the body of the person wearing it. A retaining pad I3 is attached to the belt. The main body of the retaining pad is constructed of pli-' able material which is attached to a plate It of rigid material. Plate M has extending outwardly therefrom two threaded projections I5 and it. An auxiliary plate I! similar in form to plate M with holes therethrough to receive the threaded projections l5 and It. When the pad is assembled with the belt the two ends of the belt are overlapped between plates M and H, and the two plates are then clamped together by means of nuts Isl and till. Nuts l5! and Hit are preferably spool shaped for the purposes hereinafter described.

An auxiliary spring I8 is made to approximately conform to the curve of the body. It is preferably formed of wires running approximately parallel to each other as shown in the drawing. One ,end of the spring has wire loops i522 and it? formed thereonfor the purpose of engaging the nuts 15! and lfil, so that the spring and the retaining pad are held together. An auxiliary pad 26 is attached to the spring adjacent to the end opposite to the loops. As shown in Fig. 9, pad 20 consists of a soft pliable portion 233 which is attached to a plate 204. An auxiliary plate 2535 is fitted on the face of plate 2%. This auxiliary plate :has parallel grooves 2G2 across one face thereof these grooves being adapted to receive the wire forming springlB. By means of screws 2M paw 204and 205are clamped together withthe wirespring I8betwee'n them at such location on the wire spring as may be desired.

In using this truss the belt is first fitted to the body so that the retaining pad covers the aperture or weakened portion of the body it is desired to protect or treat. The belt should be adjusted loosely for the comfort of the person wearing it, but it should be sufficiently tight fitting to remain in the position in which it is placed when the body is inactive. The belt can be thus worn when the body is inactive. When the body is active the auxiliary spring should be used. To assemble the auxiliary spring with the retaining pad on the belt, loops H52 and 562 should be engaged with the nuts l5! and it i and the spring positioned so it partially encircles the body on a plane angle to the plane of the top of the belt. The auxiliary pad 2%! should be adjusted on the spring so it will bear against the body of the patient on aline with the retaining pad, which line would be approximately a diameter of the curve formed by the spring. The spring can be better retained in the position desired by means of a strap 23 which is attached at one end to the curved spring, and at the other end to the belt. The tension of the spring should be suificient to add additional pressure on the pads than was had by the belt without the use of the auxiliary spring. The strap 25 should pass under the crotch, the ends of the strap being attached to opposite sides of the belt. It is noted that one end of said strap 25 is attached to the belt adjacent to the retaining pad.

It is noted that the belt could be constructed so that the two ends thereof could be joined by means of a buckle, but the form I have described and shown is preferred.

It is also noted that the form of the loops as shown, when engaged with the nuts, which nuts are spaced apart, are adapted to interlock, so

that movements of the body are compensated for by the rocking movement permitted by the loops as engaged with the nuts.

In adjusting the truss the belt can be positioned so that the belt will be positioned above the hip on the one side, 3|, and will or can drop below the hip on the other side, 30. The auxiliary spring is positioned just above the hip on the side of the body where the belt drops below the hip. It is also noted that the truss can be worn for an abdominal support after an abdominal operation.

I claim as new and ask for Letters Patent:

1. In a hernial truss having a pliable belt adapted to encircle the body and a retaining pad attached to the belt, auxiliary means for imparting yielding pressure to said retaining pad consisting of projections attached to said retaining pad, and a curved spring having loops at one end thereon adapted to engage said projections and to be easily attached and detached therefrom, the other end of said belt being detachably connected to the belt, said spring being adapted to pass partially around the body, said spring having an auxiliary pad attached thereto, the auxiliary pad being positioned so it will be approximately opposite to the retaining pad when the spring and retaining pad are assembled and are positioned on the body for use.

2. In a hernial truss adapted to treat a hernial aperture, the combination a pliable belt adapted to encircle the torso of the body, said belt having a retaining pad attached thereto and positioned on the belt so that the retaining pad can be adjusted to cover the hernial aperture sought to be treated, said retaining pad being con structed of pliable material on the one side, or face, and of rigid material on the opposing face, said rigid face having projections extending outwardly therefrom, and an auxiliary curved spring adapted to extend partly around the torso of the body, said spring having loops formed on one end thereof, said loops being adapted to engage said projections, and to be easily disengaged therefrom, said spring when assembled with the retaining pad being adapted to impart a yielding pressure to said retaining pad.

3. In a hernial truss, the combination of a pliable belt adapted to encircle the human body having a retaining pad attached thereto, said retaining pad having one face of rigid material, projections attached to said pad, each of said projections having an annular groove around the periphery of the projection, an auxiliary spring formed of an endless wire having two loops adapted to loosely engage the grooves in said projections, said spring being formed to approximately conform to the curve of the human torso extending from the front toward the back so that the two ends of the spring are adapted to yieldingly press on two opposite locations of the human body, and adapted when assembled with said pad and when in use as a hernial truss to impart a yielding pressure to said retaining pad, the loops when engaging said grooves, being adapted to permit said retaining pad to have a slight rocking movement to conform to the movements of the human body.

OSCAR L. McDONNELL. 

